John Raoux/Associated PressNets coach Lawrence Frank said 10 days ago that the team was running out of time with regard to keeping Yi Jianlian, above, in the starting lineup.

LOS ANGELES -- Just as he was in the nine previous games, Yi Jianlian was in the Nets' starting lineup Sunday night.

Which, as most fans probably see it, is an exquisite example of Einstein's definition of insanity. You know, doing the same thing over and over yet expecting a different result.

As recently as Sunday, Nets management and coaching staff discussed the logic of trotting the young Chinese forward back out there, as opposed to doing what they know is probably the best thing for him: Bench him, and let him match up with second-unit players, if only to let him regain some confidence.

But the coach, who believes he is doing the best thing for the player and the team at large, isn't ready to go there yet.

"Um ... let me just say this," Lawrence Frank said Sunday, as his team prepared for the meeting with the Clippers. "We'll continue to look at it. But the bottom line is, we've been in position to win all nine games. And it's hard to say that it's one player or one position where we're not getting it done."

It's fairly easy to say, however, that they're not getting much out of one player.

Ten days ago -- when Yi was averaging 5.9 points (.388) and 4.4 rebounds over 19.5 minutes in the first eight games since his return from his broken finger -- Frank admitted that the team is "running out of time" with regard to keeping Yi as a viable member of the starting lineup.

Over the four games since then, Yi's numbers have been virtually identical -- 5.7 points (.391), 5.7 rebounds in 19 minutes, to be exact.

Which raises a question: Is time no longer a factor?

"The thing is, you look at his playing time," Frank said. "He hasn't played huge minutes. it's not like we're putting him in for 40 and then saying, 'Enough's enough.' If things go well for him, he plays more. If not, we would use someone else."

The point, however, is that most coaches probably wouldn't use him at all, much less keep him in the starting lineup.

Of course, Frank may have no choice in the matter. He claims he is never told which players to use, but management has its way of influencing such decisions. And as he continues to take a massive hit on the fan blogs, Frank has one thing going for him: Even if it seems at times that he is doing Yi a disservice, his other players seem to agree with his decision.

"I think it's good he's playing. He has to play," Jarvis Hayes said. "Because he's a talent, and if they consider him a building block for this franchise, he has to take his hits. It's trial by fire."

That is a generous thing for a teammate to say, but Hayes was asked how he would feel if he were coaching the team, and felt obligated to carry management's agenda even if it costs the team victories.

"It's not a matter of obligation," Hayes replied. "Yi is a talent. He can play. He's just in a bad stretch. And even if the games are important, you're going to need him. Yes, this year. You're going to need him."

No one doubts that he has talent, and no one doubts that he'll probably be a piece of the foundation if he shows some growth over the last month of the season. But it's hard to know whether Yi has the confidence to be of any use to the team this year.

"He looks frustrated, obviously," Hayes said. "You can just tell, he's in a mental funk right now. There's not much you can say to him right now, other than encourage him as much as possible to play his game. He's going through a lot right now."

But if Yi can tolerate failure, apparently so can his coach -- who like Rod Thorn was wholly complimentary of Yi's defense at Portland Friday night, and willing to overlook his 0-for-5 contribution at the other end.

This, after all, has always been the kind of coach who sees hidden lessons with almost every failure a player may encounter.

"Remember, we're trying to do two things," Frank said. "He has a big upside, and we're giving him an opportunity. And, we're trying to win the game. We said it's not going to be easy. But we said it at the beginning of the year, and there will be days when his playing time will be less."

Actually, when the issue of Yi's development came up at the beginning of the year, he said a lot more than that.

"Individual development is important, without a doubt," Frank said in November. "If each guy gets better, the team gets better. (But) the guys you play have to earn it. They can be rookies, second-year players, or eighth-year players. It has to be based on merit, or you're not being honest with your team."